Car-lighting equipment



May 21,1929. S QJ OHNSON 1,714,092

'CA R LIGHTING EQUIPMENT Filed May 7, 1926 2 Shets-Sheet 1 INVENTOR SCH! O'ah n son CAR LIGHTING EQUIPMENT Filed May '7, 1926 2 Sheets-Shes t 2 INVENTOR 'samsbm n Patented May 21, 1929.

UNITED STATES.

1,714,092 PATENT OFFICE.

SETH JOHNSON, OF NEW HAVEN, CONNECTICUT, ASSIGNOR TO THE SAEETY CAR .HEATING 8n LIGHTING COMPANY, A CORPORATION OF NEW JERSEY.

CAR-LIGHTING EQUIPMENT.

Application filed May 7, 1926. Serial No. 107,856.

This invention relates to railway car lighting equipment and more particularly to a bearing construction adapted for use in such equipment to support a part having an oscillating or other limited movement such, for

example, as a pivotally suspended generator driven from the car axle.

One of the objects of the invention is to provide a construction of the above general nature which is practical and efficient. An-

other object is to provide a bearing construct-ion adapted for use in a relation such as that outlined above which will serve dependably and which does not require frequent atten- 1 tion. Another object is to provide an arrangement wherein there is no danger of the oscillating part sticking and ceasing to function. Another object is to provide such a' construction which does not require lubri- 2 cation. Other objects will be in part obvious or in part pointed out hereinafter.

The'invention accordingly consists in the features of construction, combinations of elements, and arrangements of parts as will be exemplified in the structure to be hereinafter described and the scope of the application of which will be indicated in the following claims. I

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of this invention Figure 1 is an elevation showing a pivotally suspended generator, the pivoting parts being shown in section;

Figure 2 is a top plan view of the parts shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a View from the right of Figure 1, and

Figures 4 and 5 are views illustrating the action of certain parts ofthis apparatus.

Similar reference characters refer to similar parts throughout the several views of the drawings.

Referring now to the drawings in detail,

there is shown in Figures 1 and 3 a generator 10 which is suspended beneath a railway car and is adapted to be driven from the car axle. The pulley mounted upon the armature shaft of the generator is shown at 11,

and in Figure 3 there is shown a belt 12 passing from this pulley to engage a driving pulley upon the axle of the car. The generator is pivotally suspended, as will be more fully described, from a pivot shaft 13 which is mounted with its axis extending transversely I of the car. As shown in Figure 3, the generator is urged by a spring 14 to swing about the axis of the shaft 13 in a direction away from the car axle, the spring serving thus to maintain the belt 12 always under a predetermined tension. The spring 1 1 and its connections are not shown in detail herein since they constitute no part of the present inventlon. The spring is illustratively shown as hooked over a pin 15 in a bracket 16 which extends outwardly from the generator cas- 1ng over the pulley 11. The other. end of the spring may be secured to any fixed point on the car body.

The generator is suspended from the pivot shaft 13 preferably by means of a pan of arms 17 and 18 at the top of which is a split lug 19 having therethrough a passage for the shaft. About the shaft 13 within the lug 19 are shown members 20 which are simply hollow bushings having slots or teeth in their outer flanged ends 35. The lug 19 is securely clamped about the bushings 20 by means of clamping bolts 21 and 22.

At either side of the clamping lug 19 the shaft 13 is supported in bearings which will presently be described in detail. These bearings are carried upon a plate member 23 which has therein a central opening 24 (as shown in Figure 2) upwardly through which the clamping lug 19 of the generator projects. The plate 23 may be supported, for example, upon a pair of members 25 and 26 extending transversely of the car body. The plate is adjustably held in position upon these members 25 and 26 by bolts such as 27 and 28 passing through suitable slots in the plate, and adjusting boltssuc-h as 29 and 30 are provided by means of which the position of the plate 23 upon the members 25 and 26 may be accurately adjusted so as to bring 'the armature shaft of the generator suspended therefrom into proper parallelism with the car axle from which the generator is driven.

-When this apparatus is in operation, the generator 10 swings about its axis of suspension in response to variations in the length of the driving belt and to movements of the car axle aifectlng the distance between the car axle and the generator pulley 11. operation this swinging movement of the generator is of very slight magnitude, but there ordinarily results a substantially continuous oscillation of the suspension shaft 13 in its bearings. When a bearing of the usual construction is employed, requiring lubrica- In normal This block 32 is firmly secured to the part 35, t

tion, it is extremely dificult to keep the bearings properly lubricated because the oscil- 1 latory movement of the shaft 13 about its axis is of such small magnitude. Frequently the parts are not properly lubricated and the bearings stick 'or freeze, resulting in the breaking and loss of the driving belt and consequent interruption in the operation of the generator. Even though the shaft does not freeze in its bearing, lack of proper lubrication causes the parts to wear very rapidly and necessitates frequent repair and replacement of pivot shafts or bearings or both.

Considering now the bearings for the shaft 13 shown in the drawing, it is noted first that, on either side of the opening 24, the plate 23 is fashioned to provide a squared recess or receptacle 31. In this receptacle is received a body of material 32 which is shaped to fit snugly with the squared inner contour of the receptacle and which is covered and held down in place by a cap 33 secured by bolts 34. This body of material 32-is formed about a short hollow shaft or bushing 35 which passes therethrough. The bore of this hollow shaft or bushing 35 receives the end portion of the pivot shaft 13. The member 35 is in driving engagement with the member 20, for example by means of suitable teeth 35 on the inner end of the member 35 engaging with the ad jacent end of the part 30 (Figure 2). The members 20 are tightly clamped by the clamping lug 19 so that the member 35 is thus in rotary. driving engagement with the lug 19. Thus no relative movementtakes place between the shaft 13 and the member 35. When the generator 10 in moving backand-forth oscillates the bushings 20 and the shaft 13 about the axis of the shaft 13, the short hollow shaft or bushing 35 is oscillated therewith.

The member 32 is preferably a solid block of yielding and resilient material such, for example, as live rubber or a suitable resilient compound which is capable of distortion by reason of its inherent physical properties.

for examp e, by means of vulcanizing or by suitable mechanial attachment. When the bushings 20 and the shaft 13 oscillate, due to the back and forth movement of the generator, the member 35 oscillates and exerts a torsional force upon the,block 32. The block is held against bodily rotation by the squared receptacle 31 in which it fits. The oscillatory rotative movement. of the suspension shaft thus distorts the elastic material of theblock 32 and the oscillating movement is taken care of without any sliding contact, the movement being accomplished wholly within the block through the distortion or stretching of the resilient material thereof. The parts may be so proportioned that the distortion of the material of the block does not reach the elastic limit thereof and thus the blocks 32 will last indefinitely without material depreciation or impairment of their efficiency.

From the foregoing, it will be seen that the bearings provided herein achieve distinct practical advantages. The shaft 13 is supported in such a manner that its oscillations are reliably accommodated and there is no danger of the shaft sticking with resultant loss of the driving belt and interruption of the generator operation. No lubrication is required and hence the diflicult problems to be met with in properly lubricating a slightly oscillating member are done away with. The

mounting is also of advantage in that the gener'ator is afforded a somewhat yielding support and is thereby relieved from shocks imparted to the moving car body. In the construction shown in the drawings, the pivot shaft 13 may be removed for the purpose of removing the generator without disturbing the bearings. The shaft is held in place by suitable pins 36 passing therethrough at either end exterior of the bearings. By jacking up the generator, removing the pins 36 and without loosening the clamping bolts 21 and 22, the shaft 13 may he slipped endwise out of place. The generator may then be re moved without disturbing the blocks 32 and their associated bushings 35.

As many possible embodiments may be made of the above invention and as many changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter hereinbefore set forth or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

I claim as my invention:

1'. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a supporting shaft, a part on said shaft having an oscillating motion about its axis, a hollow shaft through which said first shaft passes, a detachable driving connection between said part and said hollow shaft, a resilient body about said hollow shaft and having a part secured thereto, andmeans engaging another portion of said body, supporting the same and holding it against bodily movement.

2., Tn apparatus of the class described, in combination, an oscillating shaft, a part on .said shaft supported thereby and partaking of said oscillations and a bearing forsaidshaft comprising a bushing having means for mak ing driving connection with said part, a body of resilient material secured about saidbushing and having an outer non-cylindrical sur- 7.

face, and a support adapted to receive said body comprising a receptacle in which said body is removably' held and shaped to mate with'the outer surface of said body to hold it against bodily rotation.

3. In apparatus of the class described, in

Ic'ombination, a' generator adapted to be supported beneath a railway car and to be driven from an axle of the car, a shaft for pivotally supporting said generator for swinging movement toward and away from said axle, a part fixed to said generator and embracing said shaft, and a bearing for said shaft comprising a block of resilient material through which said shaft passes, means connecting the central portion of said block in rotary driving relation with said part, and means substantially encasi'ng the outer surface of said block and holding said blockagainst bodily rotation.

4. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a generator adapted to be supported beneath a railway car and to be driven from an axle of the car, a shaft for pivotally supporting said generator for swinging movement toward and away from said axle, a part fixed to said generator and embracing said shaft, and a bearing for said shaft comprising a block of resilient material through which said shaft passes, means connecting the central portion of said block in rotary driving relation with said part, said block having a squared outer contour, a support having a squared recess in which said block rests adapted to interfit with said outer squared contour thereof and hold said block against bodily rotation, and a removable cover plate for said recess for removably holding said block in position therein.

5. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a supporting shaft having an oscillating motion about its axis, a part on said shaft partaking of said oscillating motion, a hollow member through which said shaft passes and removably mounted thereon, driving means at one end of said hollow member forming a detachable driving connection with said part, a resilient body surrounding said hollow member and secured ment.

thereto, and means about said resilient body for holding it against bodily rotativemove- 6. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a'generator adapted to'be supported beneath a railway car and to be driven from an axle of the car, a shaft for pivotally supporting said generator for swinging movement toward and away from said axle, a part fixed to said generator and embracing said shaft, a pair of bushings loosely positioned about the respective end portions of said shaft and removable therefrom, a block of resilient material about each of said bushings, a pair of supports in which said blocks are received, said blocks being held agamst bodily rotation with respect to said bushings and against bodily rotation with respect to said supports, and detachable driving connections between said bushings and said part.

7-. In apparatus of the class described, in combination, a generator adapted to be supported beneath a railway car and to be driven from an axle of the car, a shaft for pivotally supporting said generator for swinging movement toward and away from said axle, a part fixed to said generator and embracing said shaft and a bearing for said shaft comprising a bushing slipped over an end portion of said shaft, a block of resilient material secured about said bushing, a detachable driving connection between said bushing and said part, means for removably holding said bushing in place upon said shaft, and a support in which said block rests and adapted to hold said block against bodily rotation.

8. In apparatus of the class described, in combination with a generator adapted to be supported beneath a railway car and to be driven from an axle of the car, a pair of spaced supports, a block of resilient material mounted in each of said supports and held against turning therein, a shaft adapted to support the generator, said shaft passing through'said blocks and being supported thereby, and means connecting the casing of said generator with an inner portion of each of said blocks so as to permit swinging movement of said generator about the axis of the shaft by distorting said resilient material.

9. In apparatus of the class described, in

combination with a generator adapted to be supported beneath a railway car and to be driven from an axle of the car, a pair of spaced supports, a-block of resilient material mounted in each of said supports and held against turning therein, a shaftadapted to support the generator, said shaft passing through said blocks and being supported thereby, and means connecting the casing of said generator with an inner portion of each of said blocks so as to permit swinging movement of said generator about the axis of the shaft by distorting said resilient material, said shaft being removable from said blocks in an axial direction.

10. In apparatus of the class described, in combination with a generator adapted to be supported beneath a railway car and to be driven from an axle of the car, a pair of spaced supports, a block of resilient material mounted in each of said supports=and held against turning therein, a shaft adapted to support the generator, said shaft passing through said blocks and being supported thereby, a part positioned about said shaft between said supports and rigidly connected to the generator casing to support the generator on said shaft, and means connecting said part with an inner portion of each of said blocks so as to permit swinging of said generator about the axis of the shaft by distorting said resilient material.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification this 26th day of April, 1926.

SETH JOHNSON. 

